Delivery of radiotherapy

Abstract

A method of controlling a radiotherapy device, a computer readable medium and a radiotherapy device are disclosed. The radiotherapy device includes a radiation source coupled to a rotation means. The method includes applying radiation to a subject using the radiation source and rotating the radiation source around the subject using the rotation means according to a first fixed rotation scheme. The method further includes, during execution of the first fixed rotation scheme, determining that the subject is in a suboptimal position, pausing application of the radiation by the radiation source and logging a first angle of rotation of the radiation source at which application of the radiation is paused.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer implemented method of controlling a radiotherapy device, the radiotherapy device comprising a radiation source coupled to a rotation member, the method comprising:
 applying radiation to a subject using the radiation source; 
 rotating the radiation source around the subject using the rotation member according to a first fixed rotation scheme; and 
 during execution of the first fixed rotation scheme:
 determining that the subject is in a suboptimal position; 
 pausing application of the radiation by the radiation source in response to determining that the subject is in the suboptimal position; and 
 logging a first angle of rotation of the radiation source at which application of the radiation is paused, wherein at least one of a speed of rotation of the radiation source or a start time at which the radiation source is to start to rotate is set based on at least one of: i) a signal comprising movement data for the subject, or ii) a signal comprising breathing data for the subject. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 during execution of the first fixed rotation scheme:
 determining that the subject is not in a suboptimal position; 
 resuming application of the radiation by the radiation source in response to the determining that the subject is not in a suboptimal position; and 
 logging a second angle of rotation of the radiation source at which application of the radiation is resumed. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein a first treatment delivery comprises:
 rotating the radiation source around the subject using the rotation member according to the first fixed rotation scheme; 
 applying the radiation to the subject using the radiation source; and 
 at a first end time at which the first treatment delivery has completed, determining a first dose reconstruction for the first treatment delivery based at least in part on the first angle of rotation. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining whether the first dose reconstruction differs from a planned dose by more than a threshold amount. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the planned dose is updated based on one or more measurements taken during and/or after the first treatment delivery, wherein the determining whether the first dose reconstruction differs from the planned dose by more than the threshold amount comprises determining if the first dose reconstruction differs from the planned dose as updated by more than the threshold amount. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , comprising, in response to a determination that the first dose reconstruction differs from the planned dose by more than the threshold amount, performing a second treatment delivery, the second treatment delivery comprising:
 applying radiation to the subject using the radiation source; and 
 rotating the radiation source around the subject using the rotation member according to a second fixed rotation scheme. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the applying the radiation to the subject using the radiation source during the second treatment delivery comprises:
 applying the radiation at or based on the first angle of rotation. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the applying the radiation to the subject using the radiation source during the second treatment delivery comprises:
 not applying the radiation at or based on the second angle of rotation. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 determining, at a second end time at which the second treatment delivery has completed, a second dose reconstruction for the second treatment delivery. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining whether a sum of the first dose reconstruction and the second dose reconstruction differs from the planned dose by more than the threshold amount. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising execution of a treatment plan, the treatment plan comprising:
 a first treatment delivery, comprising rotating the radiation source around the subject using the rotation member according to the first fixed rotation scheme, and applying radiation to the subject using the radiation source; and 
 a second treatment delivery, comprising rotating the radiation source around the subject using the rotation member according to a second fixed rotation scheme, and applying radiation to the subject using the radiation source. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the treatment plan comprises at least one of a first rotation rate of the radiation source during the first treatment delivery, the first rotation rate being determined based on the signal comprising movement data for the subject, or a second rotation rate of the radiation source during the second treatment delivery, the second rotation rate being determined based on the signal comprising movement data for the subject. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the treatment plan comprises a time interval between a first end time of the first treatment delivery and a second start time of the second treatment delivery, the time interval being determined based on the signal comprising movement data for the subject. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein rotation of the radiation source is controlled to be out of phase with motion of the subject or is controlled to be in anti-phase with the motion of the subject. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining that the subject is in a suboptimal position is based on a signal comprising movement data for the subject or on the signal comprising breathing data for the subject. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a speed of rotation of the radiation source is set based on at least one of a signal comprising movement data for the subject, a signal comprising breathing data for the subject, or wherein a start time at which the radiation source starts to rotate is set based on at least one of a signal comprising movement data for the subject or a signal comprising breathing data for the subject. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the radiation source rotates substantially continuously during at least one of the first treatment delivery or the second treatment delivery. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the logging the first angle of rotation of the radiation source comprises logging the first angle of rotation of the radiation source in a log file and/or wherein the logging the second angle of rotation of the radiation source comprises logging the second angle of rotation of the radiation source in a log file. 
     
     
       19. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a radiotherapy device comprising a radiation source coupled to a rotation member to:
 apply radiation to a subject using the radiation source; 
 rotate the radiation source around the subject using the rotation member according to a first fixed rotation scheme; and 
 during execution of the first fixed rotation scheme:
 determine that the subject is in a suboptimal position; 
 pause application of the radiation by the radiation source in response to the determination that the subject is in the suboptimal position; and 
 log a first angle of rotation of the radiation source at which application of the radiation is paused, wherein at least one of a speed of rotation of the radiation source or a start time at which the radiation source is to start to rotate is set based on at least one of: i) a signal comprising movement data for the subject, or ii) a signal comprising breathing data for the subject. 
 
 
     
     
       20. A radiotherapy device comprising a radiation source coupled to a rotation member, the radiotherapy device being configured to:
 apply radiation to a subject using the radiation source; 
 rotate the radiation source around the subject using the rotation member according to a first fixed rotation scheme; and 
 during execution of the first fixed rotation scheme:
 determine that the subject is in a suboptimal position; 
 pause application of the radiation by the radiation source in response to the determination that the subject is in the suboptimal position; and 
 log a first angle of rotation of the radiation source at which application of the radiation is paused, wherein at least one of a speed of rotation of the radiation source or a start time at which the radiation source is to start to rotate is set based on at least one of: i) a signal comprising movement data for the subject, or ii) a signal comprising breathing data for the subject.